Antalya Gazipaşa Airport

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This article or section contains information about a planned or expected new airport.
It may contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change as the construction and/or completion of the airport approaches, and as more information becomes available on it.

Antalya Gazipaşa Airport is an airport currently under construction/expansion in the Alanya area of the Antalya province in Turkey. The airport was actually finished in 1999, and has a planned annual passenger capacity of 500,000 passengers, a terminal area of 2144 square meters and a parking lot with a capacity of 105 vehicles, but was not opened for operation. Talks were held in 2006, with reports commissioned by the national government, local government, and tourist organizations to actually commence operation of the airport. Finally, the decision was made clear in 2007 to operate the airport after numerous bids were submitted to operate the airport, with Tepe Akfen Airports Holding (TAV), winning the bid to operate the airport for 25 years with the condition of paying the government $50,000 a year, and offering a 65% share in profit.

TAV Airports Holding is now updating and expanding the airport, including lengthening the runway in order to handle international operations, among other things.

The airport is planned to open in mid-late 2008, and will provide the citizens/tourists of Alanya with a closer alternative to the Antalya airport. The Gazipaşa Airport will only be about 40 km, or 20 minutes from the heart of Alanya, versus about an hour drive to the Antalya airport. It is expected to be fully operational for the 2009 tourist season, and when modified, expected to serve Alanya, Kemer, Side and Manavgat.

There is much cynicism locally that the latest timing of the opening had more to do with the stagnant local property market than the actual opening, which is now delayed indefinitely.

For the record the reason why approval was never allowed was because the International Aviation Authority has refused the airport a license, citing the danger posed by the large mountain at the end of the runway.

The opening of the airport has now been put on hold with an indefinite delay to opening. This is because the reason why it never opened in when it was completed remains the same: There is a large mountain at the end of the runway which prohibits an aircraft from aborting its landing.